Often the Pope was saying to the people he met: “I will pray for you.” And, when he prayed, time seemed to stop for him. This was evident, for example, after the end of the holy Mass. No matter where the Mass took place, he gave thanks for a long time. He did not rush, did not pay attention to the surroundings, although sometimes during the pilgrimage there was a little confusion.
Once someone asked me how many times during the day the Holy Father comes to the chapel. I started counting. It came out that eight times. But in a moment, I remembered the situation when I was looking for him in some urgent matter. I knocked on the bedroom, but no one answered. I ran to the chapel and found him there on his knees before the Blessed Sacrament. At the end of the pontificate, we were late for a few minutes for some celebration. Journalists wrote that this was because the pope is very ill. But, it was not true, he just prayed longer. I think his strength, his peace, stemmed from his contact with the Lord God, from this daily prayer. His life was a constant prayer.
Secretary of two Popes – conversation with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishing House
